IN THAT LONG AGO TIME WHEN THINGS WERE SAVED,
WHEN ROADS WERE GRAVELED AND BARRELS WERE STAVED,
WHEN WORN-OUT CLOTHING WAS USED AS RAGS,
AND THERE WERE NO PLASTIC WRAP OR BAGS,
AND THE WELL AND THE PUMP WERE WAY OUT BACK,
A VERSATILE ITEM, WAS THE FLOUR SACK.
PILLSBURY'S BEST, MOTHER'S AND GOLD MEDAL,TOO
STAMPED THEIR NAMES PROUDLY IN PURPLE AND BLUE.
THE STRING SEWN ON TOP WAS PULLED AND KEPT;
THE FLOUR EMPTIED AND SPILLS WERE SWEPT.
THE BAG WAS FOLDED AND STORED IN A SACK
THAT DURABLE, PRACTICAL FLOUR SACK.
THE SACK COULD BE FILLED WITH FEATHER AND DOWN,
FOR A PILLOW, OR T'WOULD MAKE A SLEEPING GOWN.
IT COULD CARRY A BOOK AND BE A SCHOOL BAG,
OR BECOME A MAIL SACK SLUNG OVER A NAG.
IT MADE A VERY CONVENIENT PACK,
THAT ADAPTABLE, COTTON FLOUR SACK.
BLEACHED AND SEWN, IT WAS DUTIFULLY WORN
AS BIBS, DIAPERS, OR KERCHIEF ADORNED.
IT WAS MADE INTO SKIRTS, BLOUSES AND SLIPS
AND MOM BRAIDED RUGS FROM ONE HUNDRED STRIPS.
SHE MADE RUFFLED CURTAINS FOR THE HOUSE OR SHACK,
FROM THAT HUMBLE BUT TREASURED FLOUR SACK!
AS A STRAINER FOR MILK OR APPLE JUICE,
TO WAVE MEN IN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD USE,
AS A SLING FOR A SPRAINED WRIST OR A BREAK,
TO HELP MOTHER ROLL UP A JELLY CAKE,
AS A WINDOW SHADE OR TO STUFF A CRACK,
WE USED A STURDY, COMMON FLOUR SACK!
AS DISH TOWELS, EMBROIDERED OR NOT,
THEY COVERED UP DOUGH, HELPED PASS PANS SO HOT,
TIED UP DISHES FOR NEIGHBORS IN NEED,
AND FOR MEN OUT IN THE FIELD TO SEED.
THEY DRIED DISHES FROM PAN, NOT RACK
THAT ABSORBENT, HANDY FLOUR SACK!
WE POLISHED AND CLEANED STOVE AND TABLE,
SCOURED AND SCRUBBED FROM CELLAR TO GABLE,
WE DUSTED THE BUREAU AND OAK BED POST,
MADE COSTUMES FOR OCTOBER (A SCARY GHOST)
AND A PARACHUTE FOR A CAT NAMED JACK.
FROM THAT LOWLY, USEFUL OLD FLOUR SACK!
SO NOW MY FRIENDS, WHEN THEY ASK YOU
AS CURIOUS YOUNGSTERS OFTEN DO,
"BEFORE PLASTIC WRAP, ELMERS GLUE
AND PAPER TOWELS, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
TELL THEM LOUDLY AND WITH PRIDE DON'T LACK,
"GRANDMOTHER HAD THAT WONDERFUL FLOUR SACK!"
WHEN ROADS WERE GRAVELED AND BARRELS WERE STAVED,
WHEN WORN-OUT CLOTHING WAS USED AS RAGS,
AND THERE WERE NO PLASTIC WRAP OR BAGS,
AND THE WELL AND THE PUMP WERE WAY OUT BACK,
A VERSATILE ITEM, WAS THE FLOUR SACK.
PILLSBURY'S BEST, MOTHER'S AND GOLD MEDAL,TOO
STAMPED THEIR NAMES PROUDLY IN PURPLE AND BLUE.
THE STRING SEWN ON TOP WAS PULLED AND KEPT;
THE FLOUR EMPTIED AND SPILLS WERE SWEPT.
THE BAG WAS FOLDED AND STORED IN A SACK
THAT DURABLE, PRACTICAL FLOUR SACK.
THE SACK COULD BE FILLED WITH FEATHER AND DOWN,
FOR A PILLOW, OR T'WOULD MAKE A SLEEPING GOWN.
IT COULD CARRY A BOOK AND BE A SCHOOL BAG,
OR BECOME A MAIL SACK SLUNG OVER A NAG.
IT MADE A VERY CONVENIENT PACK,
THAT ADAPTABLE, COTTON FLOUR SACK.
BLEACHED AND SEWN, IT WAS DUTIFULLY WORN
AS BIBS, DIAPERS, OR KERCHIEF ADORNED.
IT WAS MADE INTO SKIRTS, BLOUSES AND SLIPS
AND MOM BRAIDED RUGS FROM ONE HUNDRED STRIPS.
SHE MADE RUFFLED CURTAINS FOR THE HOUSE OR SHACK,
FROM THAT HUMBLE BUT TREASURED FLOUR SACK!
AS A STRAINER FOR MILK OR APPLE JUICE,
TO WAVE MEN IN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD USE,
AS A SLING FOR A SPRAINED WRIST OR A BREAK,
TO HELP MOTHER ROLL UP A JELLY CAKE,
AS A WINDOW SHADE OR TO STUFF A CRACK,
WE USED A STURDY, COMMON FLOUR SACK!
AS DISH TOWELS, EMBROIDERED OR NOT,
THEY COVERED UP DOUGH, HELPED PASS PANS SO HOT,
TIED UP DISHES FOR NEIGHBORS IN NEED,
AND FOR MEN OUT IN THE FIELD TO SEED.
THEY DRIED DISHES FROM PAN, NOT RACK
THAT ABSORBENT, HANDY FLOUR SACK!
WE POLISHED AND CLEANED STOVE AND TABLE,
SCOURED AND SCRUBBED FROM CELLAR TO GABLE,
WE DUSTED THE BUREAU AND OAK BED POST,
MADE COSTUMES FOR OCTOBER (A SCARY GHOST)
AND A PARACHUTE FOR A CAT NAMED JACK.
FROM THAT LOWLY, USEFUL OLD FLOUR SACK!
SO NOW MY FRIENDS, WHEN THEY ASK YOU
AS CURIOUS YOUNGSTERS OFTEN DO,
"BEFORE PLASTIC WRAP, ELMERS GLUE
AND PAPER TOWELS, WHAT DID YOU DO?"
TELL THEM LOUDLY AND WITH PRIDE DON'T LACK,
"GRANDMOTHER HAD THAT WONDERFUL FLOUR SACK!"
All these girls dresses were from flour sacks
--Submitted by Dallas Adams
Hi Dallas,I want to thank you for sending this artical about The Flour Sack.by Colleen Hubert.It was so true as I remember my mom making dresses for my sister Helen and made me some shirts out of flour sacks.And I had to wear overalls to school patch over patch.
ReplyDeleteGene Pennell
GENE, I REMEBER THE DAYS OF RATIONING, COUPONS, TOKENS, ETC. I REMEMBER PUTTING CARDBOARD IN MY SHOES THAT HAD HOLES IN THEM, AND WHEN THE SOLES CAME LOOSE FROM THE TOE BACK, YOU HAD TO WALK FUNNY, LIKE THE MOON WALK--ONLY FORWARD. KIDS TODAY WOULD LOOK AT YOU LIKE WE WERE CRAZY, BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAD TO GO THROUGH THE TOUGH TIMES. I THANK MY PARENTS MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY AS I GET OLDER. I TOO REMEBER THE FLOWER SACKS BUT NOT THAT WELL.
ReplyDeleteDALLAS
I REMEMBER THE FLOUR SACK. DRIED MANY MANY DISHES WITH THEM. ALL HEMMED AND LOOKING GOOD. PROBABLY MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. BELIEVE THAT I PROBABLY WORE A FEW DRESSES MADE FROM THEM TOO. MAMMA ( ALICE GREGORY) WAS VERY GOOD AT THAT OLD PEDAL, SEWING MACHINE, ( THINK IT IS THE SAME ONE THAT IS STILL AT MY SISTER, LEAHS HOUSE) ALSO, I STILL HAVE A SMALL PICNIC TABLE CLOTH THAT MY GRANDMOTHER CRABTREE MADE OUT OF ONE OF THOSE. I STILL USE IT NOW AND THEN.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS, DALLAS, FOR THE MEMORY!!
REMEMBERING THE "1950's IS A GOOD THING!!
EUNICE, THAT TREADAL SEWING MACHINE, WHEN I WAS LITTLE, IT WAS SO NOVICE TO PLAY WITH AS A CHILD, WATCHING ALL OF THE PARTS MOVING, LIKE I HAD FOUND A NEW TOY.
ReplyDeleteI NEVER ASKED WHERE THE DISH CLOTHS CAME FROM, BUT I TOO HAD TO DRY THE DISHES, SHARING WITH THREE SISTERS FOR MY LEARNING EXPERIENCES. (ALL OLDER THAN ME) SO IT WAS NOT ADVANTAGEOUS FOR ME TO TRY TO PULL A QUICK ONE.
DALLAS
I have a comment on the girls all wearing flour sack dresses. My mamma made my brother a plain white flour sack shirt. He reported after wearing it to school that the kids all thought it was a "maden" (pronounced maiden) one. I never had a made-en (ready made) dress until I was in highschool.
ReplyDeleteFloy
FLOY, MY DAD COMPLAINED ABOUT WEARING A WHITE DRESS WHEN HE WAS 2 OR 3. HE WAS BORN IN 1891 OUT BY THE HACKBERRY, I'LL BETCHA IT WAS MADE FROM A FLOUR SACK??? LOOKING BACK IN THAT TIME AND ERA, NOT TO MUCH ELSE TO ELIMINATE.
ReplyDeleteDALLAS
The line, "TO WAVE MEN IN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD USE," reminded me that when my dad was working in the field across the canyon south of our farm, when "dinner" was ready in the middle of the day, Mamma would give us a dish towel (made from a flour sack) and we would climb on top of the grainery and wave it until we could see daddy unhooking the one-way and start across the pasture toward home.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we were also wearing dresses made by my mother from flour sacks.
What a wonderful mind picture that line reminded me of. Thanks, Dallas.